INTERIM INTERAGENCY COUNTERINSURGENCY GUIDE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 169783 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR MCAP MOPS EAID PGOV PINR PINS PREL PROP, PTER, KISL, IZ, RP, UK SUBJECT: INTERIM INTERAGENCY COUNTERINSURGENCY GUIDE LAUNCHED, WORKSHOP EXPANDS USG DISCUSSION ON COUNTERINSURGENCY REF: STATE 81232 ¶1. (U) This cable is Sensitive But Unclassified -- Not for Internet distribution. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: As part of the Interagency Counterinsurgency Initiative, over a nine month period the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM) has led an interagency team composed of representatives from nine agencies and multiple bureaus within the Department in drafting a strategic level educational guide on counterinsurgency (COIN) for senior policy makers. The document is titled "Counterinsurgency for U.S. Government Policy Makers: A Work in Progress" and is also known as the Interim COIN Guide. On November 15-16, PM hosted a workshop in Arlington, Virginia to broaden the dialogue on counterinsurgency among USG agencies and workshop participants from think tanks, academia, media, and several members of the diplomatic corps (Iraq, Philippines, UK) and to take the Guide towards its final form. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (U) The Interagency Counterinsurgency Initiative seeks to socialize counterinsurgency concepts across U.S. Government agencies and to build the capacity of the USG to partner with host nations to assist their management of effective COIN campaigns. The Interim COIN Guide is one element of the Interagency Counterinsurgency Initiative, which was launched in September 2006. The objectives of the Guide mirror those of the Initiative, with the specific goal of engendering a common understanding of insurgency and counterinsurgency across the USG. The process of bringing together the participants in the drafting process has proven as valuable as the Guide itself as we build a wider and deeper COIN community of interest whose participants are positioned to press for change in their organizations so the USG as a whole is able to deliver more effective COIN capabilities. Additional information on the Initiative can be found on the internet at www.usgcoin.org, which includes a Fact Sheet and an electronic version of the Guide. ¶4. (U) Counterinsurgency expert Dr. David Kilcullen of the Counselor's staff ran the workshop. Ambassador Stephen Mull, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs (PM),delivered the opening remarks. Ambassador John Herbst of S/CRS, USAID Acting Deputy Administrator James Kunder, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict and Interdependent Capabilities (OSD/SOLIC) Michael Vickers also spoke, underlining the relevance of the Guide to their organizations and to the USG in general. Janine Davidson of OSD/SOLIC's Stability Operations Capabilities office presented on the role of doctrine in driving organizational change and Donna Hopkins of PM's Office of Plans, Policy and Analysis outlined the way forward for the Guide at the end of the workshop. -------------- KEY POINTS OF DISCUSSION -------------- ¶5. (U) One of the main goals of the two day workshop was to solicit views from a wide range of participants inside and outside the USG whose organizations play a role in counterinsurgency. Complete consensus was not sought and there were points of disagreement among workshop participants. ¶6. (U) Many participants agreed that the Interim COIN Guide needs a strong focus on USG support to the host nation governments affected by insurgency. This emphasizes the benefits of an indirect approach - partnering with host nation governments to assist them in implementing a COIN plan of their own, rather than the USG running a COIN campaign itself on behalf of the host nation. Ideally, the host nation has a COIN plan; the USG should assess whether and where it can assist. If the host nation does not have a COIN plan, the USG should build a planning capacity early in any engagement with the host nation in addressing an insurgency. ¶7. (SBU) A main point of disagreement was whether a USG COIN campaign should be fully interagency or whether only the foreign affairs agencies - the Department of State, STATE 00169783 002 OF 002 SUBJECT: INTERIM INTERAGENCY COUNTERINSURGENCY GUIDE LAUNCHED, WORKSHOP EXPANDS USG DISCUSSION Defense, USAID and the intelligence community - would be more effective. Some participants supported the former by noting that many agencies outside the foreign affairs agencies have technical assistance programs and funding that can be brought to bear in a COIN campaign. Others supported the latter option by noting that the foreign affairs agencies are accustomed to and more effective at working overseas, particularly when the environment is semi-permissive or non-permissive; and they have the legal and budgetary authorities for foreign assistance. ¶8. (U) There was extensive discussion as to whether the Guide should be realistic or aspirational. A considerable number of participants concluded that it should be realistic, with call-out boxes in various spots to highlight required (but not extant) capabilities or institutional arrangements. ¶9. (U) Many participants called for a blunt discussion in the Guide of capability gaps, the implications for counterinsurgency of the resource imbalance between the Defense Department and the rest of the interagency, and other challenges and constraints on the USG in a counterinsurgency environment. ¶10. (U) There was broad agreement that Congressional involvement is essential in building and maintaining key COIN capabilities in the government and to ensure broad support, both political and financial, for engaging with a foreign partner that faces a destructive insurgency. -------------- THE WAY FORWARD; COMMENTS WELCOMED -------------- ¶11. (U) The Interim COIN Guide can be found on the homepage of the Interagency Counterinsurgency Initiative website at www.usgcoin.org. Posts and bureaus within the Department and USAID missions are encouraged to review and comment on all aspects of the Guide including its scope, focus, and content. PM requests that comments by transmitted by January 15, 2008. Comments can be sent to Thomas F. Cooney in the PM bureau via email (CooneyTF@state.gov on the unclassified system). ¶12. (U) The Guide is being revised with input from the November workshop. A reworked Guide will be ready in February. At that time, PM will host a workshop in conjunction with the Defense Department. The workshop will review the revised Guide and an outline for a forthcoming Defense Department Joint Publication on Counterinsurgency, in part to ensure the two are compatible. ¶13. (U) In late spring 2008, PM will hold a workshop with a COIN expert panel to assess the adequacy of the revised Guide, which will then be field tested with embassies, Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq and Afghanistan, USAID missions and military units. A final, cleared interagency document will be ready in the fall of 2008 for submission to the appropriate interagency officials for signature. ¶14. (U) Minimize considered. RICE